Has Anyone Tried the Phonak Audio Q Hearing Aids?

Just wanted to know how well they worked?

 

George, I just received a pair of Audeo Q50 yesterday. They are my first hearing aids.

I have only been wearing them for about 24 hours (minus sleep), so I can't really say how I'll adjust long term, but they are certainly helping already with speech volume and clarity. I am making notes to take back to my two week visit to have them tuned for the first time.

My biggest complaint so far is the overly "tinny" sound that everything suddenly makes. Lightswitches seem to rattle when I turn them off or on, keys, seatbelts, and car door locks are very pronounced as well...

I'll try to update again in a few weeks after I adjust and get additional tweaks.

Mike

 

I've got some Phonak Audeo Q. They work ok. I can still hear my tinnitus over them but that's probably a good thing coz you don't want to be masking it completely or you'll never get used to it! I've had them since December.

 

Did you guys get the maskers with hearing aids?

I'm thinking about getting the them too but they cost so much. Just wanted to know how the maskers worked with the hearing aids.

 

Get them. Almost all hearing aids come with maskers. So just get the cheapest. Has to be a "behind the ear" one or else it will block the auditory canal which makes you perceive your tinnitus as worse

 

Thanks for your help. The cheapest ones here are $3400 which is a lot for me but that's another story. Do they help some?

 

Yep, I currently have 3 programs - default "sound flow" which adapts, tinnitus masking pink noise, and music.

So far the pink noise setting hasn't done anything to alleviate the ringing, so I have gone back to the default program.

I do know that I need some tweaks, but saddened that the masking hasn't affected the perceived levels at all.

Mike

 

Thanks for the insight it may take some time to start to adjust to your hearing

 

George,
I tried Phonak Audeo Q70's for about three weeks and found them very helpful for improved hearing. My issue was that almost at the same point in time that I started using them I also started to experience new tonal T that I had not had before so that shook me up! Simply an unfortunate coincidence. I returned the aids in order to focus on my "new" friends in my head. I've had T since 2006 and was doing good until this latest episode. Now trying to regroup!

 

I have them, but mostly for my hearing loss. I originally bought the Phonak Audeo Smart early last year and shortly afterwards they released the Audeo Q. Since mine didn't have the noise generators I upgraded to the Q a couple months back.

For my hearing loss I love them. Regarding the tinny sound someone mentioned, I had that in the beginning but over a few months and some adjustments it went away. Now, sounds without them in just sound weird because my brain has adjusted to the new high frequencies I am now getting more of.

If you are only getting them for masking, I would try the Widex Zen aids. I have never tried those, but I think they offer more masking features like music and soothing sounds rather than just plain white/pink noise.

I did have my audiologist set mine up so I can turn the noise generators on/off by switching into that program manually. Then I have a Phonak ComPilot that gives me the ability to adjust the volume of the noise. So on really bad T days where I am in a quiet environment, I can turn up the noise. But I rarely do that though. 90% of the day I hardly notice the noise generators on, but when I am in a quiet place it helps give me something else to focus on. It's slowly getting to the point where I don't even need it though.

 

I'm on day three of a 45-day no-obligation trial of Audeo Q70s. Going back on Monday for my first readjustment. Right now the maskers block the tinnitus, but seem pretty loud. The improved hearing in many different situations is great. Audiologist forgot to program the ability for me to change the level of the maskers. Already told her to just give me the software.

 

I had a visit today with an audiologist specializing in tinnitus treatment. I spent the better part of 6 hours with questionnaires, counseling and hearing testing. She offered me some options for the tinnitus. One being Phonak Marvel 90 @ $5200. She said this would not only help with masking the tinnitus but also with improving my hearing over time and lessen the tinnitus. So I am not sure how convinced I am at this time of that option. The other option was a medical device called Neuromonics that you listen to 2 hours per day for 9 months to lessen the tinnitus.

 

It's a hearing aid, it doesn't truly improve your hearing, it just amplifies the sounds around you. Your audiologist is a flat out liar if she said that it will improve your hearing over time. I Googled the Marvel 90, that thing is massive and quite ugly. If you're going to spend thousands on hearing aids, I'd go for one of the "invisible" units to avoid looking like you're 96 years old.

Another thing, if spending thousands on hearing aids or Neuromonics is a strain on your finances, I'd suggest just waiting for now. You're going to be pissed if a cure or something that can provide a meaningful reduction comes out, but you can't afford it because you spent all of your money on hearing aids.